Celebrate Roe vs Wade!

Written by Angie King

Now it’s our right to contraceptives that is being threatened. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops wants the Affordable Care Act to permit insurers to exclude coverage for contraception. If insurers don’t have to cover the cost of regular contraception (or Plan B, or RU-486) more women will become pregnant who don’t want to. Combined with the restricted access to health care for terminating unwanted pregnancies (our constitutional right), this is another chink being carved out of our rights.

What happens next? Will all the gains of the past generations be lost, so we end up barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen again?

SLO NOW is not holding a public event for Roe this year, but we are asking you to remember how fragile are our hard won rights, and to be mindful of your heritage as modern American women. Stand up and speak out for your rights or they will go away.

Sign this pledge and re-affirm your commitment to reproductive freedom for women!

I pledge to ...

» Speak out: There's power in words. Don't use the words "pro-life" to describe anti-abortion groups, and make an effort to write the editors of your local papers when they use the term. Murder is not pro-life. Pro-Choice means giving the woman the right to make her own decision.

» Stay informed: Be aware of reproductive rights legislation in California, including so-called "pharmacist conscience" laws designed to deny women access to birth control and emergency contraception and "fetal personhood" laws intended to criminalize both abortion and many forms of birth control. One way of staying informed is subscribing to NOW action alerts (now.org).

» Get involved locally: Reach out to groups that provide clinic defense or escort services in your area, work for low-cost contraceptive access in your community, or get involved with the local NOW chapter.  Call Planned Parenthood for more information about escort services.

» Get involved online: If possible, use Twitter, Facebook and blogs to connect with others across the country and worldwide working for reproductive freedom.